Tag Archives: wireless networking

IT Security

What Is Wardriving and Why Should Your Hamilton Business Be Concerned?

If you happen to run a small business, beware! At one time, making sure our computers were locked to our desks and we had the right passwords were just enough to secure confidential corporate data. Maybe having your server locked in a secure room gave you the peace of mind that everything was secure. Times have changed especially since the invention of wireless networks. Today, crooks simply need a WI-FI connection to break into your office.

These Wardrivers drive around cruising neighbourhoods, shopping centers and office buildings looking for open or WI-FI networks that can be easily hacked into. All businesses are at risk! Small Business right through to large corporations can fall victim to a compromise of their WI-FI network. There are almost daily stories of corporations having their WI-FI networks hacked into and customer data compromised. A few years ago it was TJ Maxx; tomorrow it could be your business.

Right now, these wardrivers might make you a target. Here is how they will typically do it…

Wardrivers cruise around in vehicles, usually the ones with tinted windows to make sure no one outside sees what is happening inside the vehicle. Inside the vehicle will be laptops connected with long-range antennas that collect the list and locations of wireless networks. When they come across a vulnerable wireless network, they tap into it and steal credit card numbers and even personal information.

And if you are using an unsecure Wi-Fi standard called Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), you may be at risk. Consumer-grade WI-Fi routers (normally sold at your local office supply store) are often the targets of these wardriving attempts to hack into your business network. Your business might be using one of them. But the point here is that WEP’s encryption can be easily cracked with a little help from sophisticated tools by unsophisticated hackers, so it is time you reviewed your network security and our team of Hamilton IT security specialists can help you.

Just over a year ago, a hacker named Albert Gonzalez was convicted of stealing more than 130 million credit card numbers, most of which were robbed using wardriving.

What does your business need to be secure?

It starts with having a review of your overall business security systems, physical and virtual. It is great to have alarms on your building, controlled access to your business but what about your employees who connect from home via remote access or your WI-FI connection that is broadcasting to the world that your business is “open for business”. Having a trusted Hamilton IT support team like ours will ensure your network is completely secure, all possible gaps are filled and you can rest assured knowing that the right team is on the job.

Wireless networks are great and they are convenient. But what are the risks? Contact Solve-IT today to learn more about how to secure your business network.

mobility

4G Is Coming To Canada

4G is finally here. Though it will initially be available only in a few major Canadian cities, it will be available. With Telus officially announcing the rolling out of this technology starting in mid-2011, the prediction made by Deloitte’s Technology Media Telecommunications earlier this year appears to be coming true.

The report had suggested that the adoption of 4G might be slower than expected as some mobile providers have not fully utilized their existing 3G spectrum. Whatever it is, some of us will be using 4G soon. But what exactly is 4G? The term “4G” has been highly used with different carriers having their own definitions for the term making us more confused by the day.

4G, in simple terms, refers to wireless network-based on fourth-generation technology which will provide faster wireless service over 3G. It will be much more reliable and faster than the existing 3G wireless network, and the technology has been developed to cater to consumer’s growing demand for data to power their smartphones and tablet devices.

4G mobile technology and wireless carriers will have to implement one of the two systems, either Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) or Long Term Evolution (LTE) for the service to work. As far as Telus, the pioneer here, is concerned; it will be deploying LTE network and operate on the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS). Rogers, Bell, and Wind Mobile have also been thinking of using the same system but they have not made any announcements yet.

The transition from 3G to 4G will take some time. In fact, some of it has already been done. In 2009, Telus and Bell had brought forth 3G HSPA+ wireless network (also known as 3.5G). The 4G wireless network, according to Telus, will appear in early 2012 (remember, only in major cities) and it will take a short while for the service to be available nationwide.